Oral Answers to Questions

Julian Huppert Excerpts

Tuesday 15th May 2012 Commons Chamber

[Mr Speaker]

Honour is served. We are grateful.

[Dr Julian Huppert (Cambridge) (LD)]

11. What recent progress he has made in reforming the law on defamation.

[The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Justice (Mr Jonathan Djanogly)]

The Defamation Bill has been introduced into this House as part of the Government's programme for this Session. The text of the Bill and accompanying explanatory notes were published on 11 May.

[Dr Huppert]

I thank the Minister for that answer. After campaigning for many years for libel reform, it was excellent to see the Bill announced in the Queen’s Speech and published—and in better form than it was in the draft, which says something about pre-legislative scrutiny. I particularly welcome the protection for academic and scientific articles and for operators of websites. The Bill talks about regulations applying to website operators to deal with anonymity and other issues. There are many nuances to that, so will the Government publish a draft of that order together with the Bill?

[Mr Djanogly]

My hon. Friend sat on the Joint Committee and I know that he has long taken an interest in matters pertaining to scientific freedoms. I fully agree that we must ensure that the threat of libel proceedings is not used to frustrate scientific and academic debate and that the law must be reformed to provide an appropriate libel regime for publications on the internet. The Defamation Bill aims to address both those areas fairly and effectively. I look forward to further debate as it proceeds.